PM Modi springs a surprise in Ayodhya, pays visit to Ujjwala scheme beneficiary
The prime minister, taking time off from his hectic schedule, visited Meera Manjhi and savoured a ‘sweeter’ tea at her home
Throwing a surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took time out during his hectic Ayodhya visit on Saturday (December 30) and called on Meera Manjhi, a Ujjwala scheme beneficiary, walking straight to her doors and catching her unawares.
Manjhi, a resident of Ayodhya, who stays there with her husband, in-laws and children, was all gung-ho about PM Modi visiting her home. “PM Narendra Modi during his Ayodhya visit visited the house of a Ujjwala beneficiary and had tea at her residence. She is the 10 croreth beneficiary of PM Ujjwala Yojana,” news agency ANI said on X, formerly Twitter. The agency also shared a video of Manjhi’s interview on X in which she looks very happy at the events of the day.
“I was very happy seeing him (the prime minister). I told him we got the house in (PM) Awas (scheme). We are also getting free electricity and water. Earlier, I used to cook on bhatti (earthen oven) but I am very happy now,” Manjhi is seen telling ANI in the interview animatedly. When the prime minister asked her what else she had cooked apart from meals, she told him she had also made tea. “He asked me for tea saying 'thhandi me chai toh pilana chahiye na'. He said it was a little sweeter. I told him this was how I make tea,” Manjhi further says.
Manjhi was told an hour ago that a leader would visit her home but she was not aware of who the leader was.
The prime minister also invited Manjhi and her family to the consecration ceremony on January 22.
Modi visited Manjhi after inaugurating the redeveloped railway station at Ayodhya and flagging off two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains from the holy city.
Later in the day, Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, wrote on X in Hindi, “Apnatva aur atmitayata. Ayodhya Dham mein PM @narendramodi ji ne aaj ‘Ujjwala yojana’ kee labaarthi behan Meera Manjhi se bhent kiya evan unhein 22 January ko Ram Mandir mein pran pratishtha anushthan mein amantrit kiya (Affinity and cordiality! PM Narendra Modi ji today visited ‘Ujjwala scheme’ beneficiary sister Meera Manjhi and invited her to the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22).”
Minister Irani also shared on X a video of the prime minister walking the streets of Ayodhya. In the video, he is seen greeting the people and signing a painting of a young artist.